Monkeys make everything better. The average person already knows this, and it has only been confirmed by recent findings of the American Monkeyological Congress (AMC) and the National Association for the Study of Awesome Things (NASAT). But if you want to see the evidence for yourself, join the folks down at Art Star this Saturday at the opening reception for their new exhibit: Matthew Porter's Monkey World. The boutique, now in its second year, is hosting a "Punch and Pie party" this Saturday to celebrate this new primate portfolio.

Porter graduated from the Edinburgh College of Art in 1997, and has been playing with themes of global pop culture ever since. Co-owner of Seattle's Bluebottle Art Gallery, he has drawn from diverse sources for his inspiration, including Mexican Luchadores, Japanese tin-toys, superheroes, and mid-century sideshow posters. In his Monkey World series, the artist dresses up monkeys with cultural artifacts ranging from Star Trek uniforms and beatnik berets to papal vestments and bandito costumes. Using an easily recognizable template for the monkeys, the range of costumes start to resemble something very much like a set of paper dolls. Their uniformity in some sense only affirms the notion that this is not merely a bunch of monkeys, but an actual Monkey World, with boxers, superheroes and gangsters and everything else a healthy society needs to survive and thrive.

In addition to the exhibit, Art Star will have its (un)usual variety of clothes, artwork, housewares, accessories, jewelry, and crazy plush breakfast foods. Co-proprietresses Megan Brewster and Erin Waxman have promised to provide partygoers with "yummy punch" and "a variety of pies," which should convince all of those on the fence to come join the simian soiree, from 5-9 on Saturday, January 7th, at Art Star Boutique, 1030 N. 2nd Street, Unit 301, Philadelphia, PA. Art Star Boutique is open Tuesday-Saturday, 11-7 and Sunday, 12-6. Phone #: 215-238-1557

Simon Finger: www.phillyist.com/archives/art/